Premier League and EFL clubs could furlough entire squads in bid to curb financial crisis

Premier League and EFL clubs are exploring the likelihood of furloughing their entire squads during the coronavirus shutdown.

The leagues are getting to discuss the choice of placing contracted players inactive of absence as a part of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme with the Professional Footballers’ Association,

who on Thursday involved an urgent meeting with the Premier League and EFL to debate the impact of the crisis on the finances of players and clubs alike.

So far, clubs are reluctant to furlough players because there’s no clause in their contracts allowing them to be placed inactive of absence

and that they are fearful some stars could use things to undertake to force a free transfer.

Many clubs across the EFL, including MK Dons and Millwall,

have already furloughed the bulk of their non-playing staff and therefore the hope is that the PFA can help to facilitate an identical arrangement for players.

If an agreement are often reached, the govt scheme would allow clubs to say 80 per cent of players’ monthly wages, up to £2,500.

the bulk of Premier League and Championship players earn considerably more, but clubs believe they might save around £60,000 a month, while continuing to pay their players’ full salaries.

Wage deferrals also will be high on the agenda at the upcoming meeting, although some clubs are fearful that the scheme will cause financial problems further down the road .

A blanket temporary wage cut of around five or 10 per cent until after football resumes has also been suggested.

On Tuesday, Birmingham became the primary Championship club to ask their players to require pay deferrals,

while leading clubs on the continent including Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, have asked their squads to require salary cuts.

Gordon Taylor, the PFA’s chief executive, cares about players not being paid fully during the crisis.

“The meeting is to speak about all the problems , finances, contracts, returning to training,” Taylor said. “We are just trying to urge some consistency.

Welfare of the players is that the priority. These are worrying times for players also as clubs — and that we know from before that some owners haven’t been the simplest at paying players on time.”

In a statement, the PFA said: “The PFA has involved an urgent meeting with both the Premier League and English league to debate the impact

that the Covid-19 crisis has on the finances of both clubs and players.“As with other industries, the present

Covid-19 crisis has a severe impact on the finances of the sport . Several clubs have already approached players with a view to imposing pay deferrals.

“In order to affect this, we’ve involved an urgent meeting with the Premier League and therefore the EFL to debate how we’d proceed going forward.”

Elsewhere, it had been reported on Friday that players looking to maneuver when their contacts expire at the top of June are going to

be made to remain at their clubs until this season is finished as a part of a Fifa plan involved in response to the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, television networks are exploring the likelihood of screening all Saturday 3pm fixtures live if the season continues behind closed doors.

Sky Sports and BT Sport have discussed making matches that begin at 3pm available to observe .

As it stands, there’s a blackout on broadcasters showing Saturday 3pm fixtures. But those restrictions might be lifted when football returns.